1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cyclone collector, and more particularly, to a cyclone collector which is suitable for a vacuum cleaner.
2. Background of the Related Art
Generally, a cyclone collector is a device collecting contaminants such as dusts, naps, and paper scraps contained in the air, using a cyclone principle. A cyclone collector is being used in various fields, and mainly applied to a vacuum cleaner for home use.
Various types of cyclone collectors are proposed in such documents as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,643,748, 4,353,008, 5,078,761, 145,499 and so on.
There may be two types of cyclone collectors: a forward directional cyclone collector in which a direction that air containing contaminants (xe2x80x9ccontaminated airxe2x80x9d) is induced and a direction that purified air is exhausted are substantially same; and a reverse-directional cyclone collector in which the said directions are different.
A related art uni-directional cyclone collector will be described in detail.
The related art uni-directional cyclone collector includes collectors in which air suction is performed in axial direction of a cyclone body (FIGS. 1 and 2), and other collectors in which air suction is performed in tangent direction (FIGS. 3 and 4).
An embodiment of the related art uni-directional cyclone collector will be described referring to FIGS. 1 and 2.
A suction inlet 2 for sucking contaminated air in axial direction is formed at one side of a cylindrical cyclone body 1, and an air vent 4 for exhausting purified air in axial direction is formed at other side thereof. A means 3 for supplying is formed inside the cyclone body 1 to rotate the air sucked in axial direction in tangent direction. A contaminant vent 5 is formed at the air vent 4 to guide contaminants separated by a centrifugal force in a tangent direction, and a collecting bag 6 is detachably mounted at one side of the contaminant vent 5.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, another embodiment of the related art uni-directional cyclone collector basically has a similar structure, except that there is no separate means for supplying rotative force since a suction inlet 12 is provided in tangent direction of a cyclone body 11. Reference numerals 13, 14 and 15 denote an air vent, a contaminant vent, and a collecting bag, respectively.
Meanwhile, in case of applying the aforementioned cyclone collector to a vacuum cleaner, the cyclone collector may be mounted either in a vacuum cleaner body, or between the body and the suction inlet body.
The operation of the related art cyclone collector will be described referring to FIGS. 1 and 2.
When a cyclone collector is in operation, a suction force generating means such as a suction fan (not shown) is put to work to produce suction force, and contaminant is sucked into the cyclone body 1 together with air through the suction inlet 2.
At this time, contaminated air sucked in axial direction is given rotative force in tangent direction passing through the means 3 for supplying rotative force, and the contaminated air rotates in the cyclone body 1 as a result. Accordingly, relatively light air concentrates to the center of the cyclone body 1 and makes a whirlwind, because the relatively light air receives less centrifugal force. This air is exhausted through the air vent 4 when air flow in a direction of the air vent (exhaust air) is formed at a certain moment.
On the other hand, contaminants heavier than air receive more centrifugal force and flow along an inner wall of the cyclone body 1, so as to move into the collecting bag 6 mounted at the contaminant vent 5.
When more than certain amount of contaminants are collected in the collecting bag 6, a user may separate the collecting bag from the contaminant vent 5 and remove the contaminants, then may join the collecting bag to the contaminant vent 5 to use it again.
The operation principle of another embodiment of the related art cyclone collector (FIGS. 3 and 4) is basically same with the aforementioned operation, except that contaminated air receives centrifugal force without any separate means for supplying rotative force, because the contaminated air is entered into the cyclone body in tangent direction.
A related art reverse-directional cyclone collector will be described referring to FIG. 5.
A suction inlet 32 is formed at an upper part of a cylindrical cyclone body 31 to suck contaminated air in tangent direction, and a contaminant vent 34 for guiding the contaminants separated by the centrifugal force in tangent direction is formed at a lower part of the cyclone body 31. A collecting bag 35 is detachably mounted at the contaminant vent 34.
Meanwhile, unlike the forward directional cyclone collector, in the reverse-directional cyclone director, an air vent 34 for exhausting purified air is formed at which the suction inlet 32 is formed, that is, at the upper part of the cyclone body 31 in axial direction.
The operation of the aforementioned reverse-directional cyclone collector will be described below.
Contaminated air which is sucked into the suction inlet 32 rotates along an inner wall of the cyclone body 31 and at the same time descends. In this process, contaminants are separated from the cyclone body 31 and collected in the collecting bag 35. Meanwhile, purified air is moved up by the suction force applied through the air vent 33, changing its direction from the lower part of the cyclone body 1 to the air vent 33, to be exhausted outside of the cyclone body 31.
That is, in the reverse-directional cyclone collector, a flow (swirl) rotating along an inner wall of the cyclone body 1 becomes an exhaust air flow which changes its direction at the lower part of the cyclone body (opposite to the air vent) and moves up.
However, the related art cyclone collector has several problems.
First, since the contaminated air which is sucked into the cyclone body doesn""t receive sufficient centrifugal force, contaminants are not effectively collected, but are exhausted outside of the cyclone body together with the exhaust air, thereby reducing the collecting efficiency.
Second, swirl flow and exhaust air flow generated in the cyclone body interfere with each other and generates flow resistance, thereby increasing pressure loss and noise. This problem is particularly serious in the reverse-directional cyclone collector. The reason why is that flow rotating at the lower part of the cyclone body comes into collision against exhaust air flow when the flow is changed to the exhaust air flow, thereby generating a warm air which acts as an air resistance element.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a cyclone collector for vacuum cleaner that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a cyclone collector for vacuum cleaner, which improves collecting efficiency.
Other object of the present invention is to provide a cyclone collector for vacuum cleaner, which reduces flow resistance so as to reduce noise and pressure loss.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, in a cyclone collector for vacuum cleaner according to the present invention including a cyclone body, a contaminated air suction inlet for sucking contaminants and air into the cyclone body, an air vent for exhausting air purified in the cyclone body, and a contaminant vent for exhausting the contaminants separated from the cyclone body, the cyclone collector is characterized in that the cyclone body includes a flow guide means therein, which is disposed opposite to the air vent so as to improve swirl force inside the cyclone body and prevent swirl flow and exhaust air flow from interfering with each other. The flow guide means has a larger diameter toward the air vent so as to prevent swirl flow and exhaust air flow from interfering with each other. The flow guide means also has a cylindrical guide member at one end thereof, which supports the flow interference prevention member and prevents the sucked air from flowing to a region on which suction force generated through the air vent acts.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.